Persistence is key to losing weight and keeping it off

Losing weight is one of the most common New Year's resolutions, but
changing long-held behaviors is a skill in itself, a medical expert
says.

To shed unwanted pounds and keep them off, people have to be ready to
face some setbacks and keep on trying, said Dr. Jessica Bartfield, an
internal medicine and medical weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb
Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola University Health System.

"People need a motivation to lose weight and the new year is an
opportunity to start fresh," Bartfield said in a Loyola news release.
"Behavior change is the cornerstone of healthy, successful weight loss
and it takes about three months to establish a new behavior," she
pointed out.

"When you learn to ride a bike, you expect that you will fall down a
couple times and are prepared to try again and get back on; you need to
have the same expectation with weight loss and to plan accordingly," she
explained.

Only 20 percent of Americans who've tried to lose weight will keep the
weight off after one year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Bartfield offered the following tips to help
reverse this trend and help people achieve and maintain their
weight-loss goals:

Don't skip breakfast. "Eating within
one hour of awakening can boost your metabolism up to 20
percent for the rest of the day," Bartfield said.
"Eating something is better than eating nothing, but
ideally try to incorporate protein for longer-lasting
fuel."

Have a weekly weight check. "Monitoring
your weight on a weekly basis provides a fairly accurate
weight trend and, more importantly, an early detection
of any weight regain, which allows you to adjust
behaviors accordingly," Bartfield said.

Exercise for one hour every day. "Snow
shoveling, vacuuming, taking the stairs—you don't have
to run like a hamster on a wheel for 60 minutes. Take
three 20-minute brisk walks, or compile the one hour
based on a series of activities," she advised.

Limit TV to fewer than 10 hours each week.
"Many argue they don't have time to exercise, but when I
ask them to count the hours they spend watching TV or
surfing the Net, they are able to find the time for
activities where they are moving instead of sitting,"
Bartfield said.

Keep track of your physical activity.
"Park your car farther away, take the stairs, manually
change TV channels—these are all simple ways to get more
physical activity and you need to write them down as
they are performed to keep yourself honest," Bartfield
said. "Also wearing a pedometer can help accurately
document and track your progress."

Keep track of calories. Do not
underestimate how many calories you consume at each
meal.

Set clear, realistic goals. Avoid
setting vague goals. Objectives need to be specific and
attainable. People can start by trying to lose 10
percent of their body weight, Bartfield recommended.

Be consistent. "Eat at regular
intervals seven days per week," Bartfield advised.
"Being 'good' on the weekdays and then splurging on the
weekend creates a harmful cycle that discourages weight
loss."

Plan for setbacks. "When you learn to drive, or
learn a sport or musical instrument, you make mistakes and you
have an experienced instructor—maybe even several—to help
correct the mistakes and prevent repeats. Enlist a trusted
friend, or enroll in a program to learn and master the rules of
weight loss," Bartfield said.

When it comes to teenagers who need to lose weight, parents should get
involved. "Treating child and adolescent obesity needs to be a family
effort; families need to change behaviors," she said. "Research shows
that families—and even couples—who change behavior together are the most
successful."

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine provides more information on weight
control.